Even though I have had many reservations as to your methods I must admit that you did better than I thought you were doing. I think that in politics all is in the timing and still today I am concerned about that part. But at least it is clear that you were able to deliver some positive results on a daunting task, even if accompanied with worrisome facts. Let's today celebrate that in spite of some unclear details still to be settled you have managed to bring a list of unity candidates that, if not all in all inspiring, is at least more inspiring than what chavismo will deliver in a few days.
Yet, finding comfort in the mediocrity of the other side is not going to do it if you really want to win in September. Remember, you need to win by a spread of at least 5% votes to compensate for the electoral built in advantage the CNE serves the PSUV. Thus I take the liberty to repeat some advice offered before, maybe arrogantly I may concede but in good faith.
The first business is to publish within days a short campaign manifesto. You can publish a gigantic laundry list if you want later one, but publish a ten points list or something like that. That list should make it clear that you intend to reverse some excesses of Chavez while not upsetting everything. Examples of what should be included, in no particular order:
- amnesty law for political prisoners (should be your first principled item).
- return to decentralization. Announce that Consejos Comunales will remain but will work with Mayors and Governors, not with Caracas (do not worry, C.C.will be dead by themselves once people realize most of them run for the personal benefit of chavista local leaders). Repeat that it does not make a difference whether a governor is chavista or not, s/he must work with C.C. and not Caracas.
- eviction of Faria from Caracas. If you are not going to campaign against Faria lousy performance and unconstitutional nomination why will you bother campaigning in Caracas? Make her an issue along all what Chavez did to take away decentralization. In chavista states say that it will force the local governor to get to work once and for all instead of spending time at Chavez speeches (include the return of Ledezma as full mayor; trust me, it will allow you to take at least 4 seats in Libertador).
- financial control and inquiry of where the money went (not telling what Chavez needs to do but making sure that his actions are accounted for, NiNi might like that a lot).
- vote funds for jails and to improve them (at this point it is about the only thing you can do to improve the security problem until the private sector starts generating real jobs). Offer jails to be run by a national independent board monitored by the Judicial Power and local authorities, not the central government or the national police of national guard. Or something similar but away from the government.
- stop government take over of private property and offer to review the agrarian laws to increase food production (repeat incessantly that under Chavez we started importing more than half of our food, that there is no more "seguridad alimentaria" in such conditions). use the scare card: 5 more years of a pro Chavez assembly and people will be with ration cards like in Cuba (Chavez is using a bevy of scare cards, why not use a couple of them yourselves?)